Each part of the delivery system is further explained below. The curriculum crosswalk shows two outside sources that Blue Rock High School uses, it also shows how they fit in under the ASCA National Standards.
Guidance Curriculum
Blue Rock High School Programs (7th-12th)
Each year, our counselors and staff revamp our current guidance curriculum to best fit the needs of the students in our school district. Our curriculum is based on the developmental needs of our students and what we have used that has been successful in the past as well as assessing how much the students felt that the material was necessary and useful. Below are the six categories that students will be educated about by the school counselors during the 2011-2012 school year at Blue Rock High School.
Curriculum Outline:
Fall 7- Fitting in/transitions 8- Academic Development 9- Fitting in/transitions 10- Academic Development 11- Stress management 12- D&A Spring 7- Bullying/aggression 8- D&A 9- Career 10- Bullying/aggression 11- Career 12- Stress management
For clarity, we have provided links which outline lesson plans for the secondary guidance curriculum (grades 7-12). Sample classroom instruction plans are provided below to show what types of interventions and lessons will be implemented in the classrooms.
Blue Rock High School Sample Lesson Plans DOMAIN: Academic DevelopmentStandard B: Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college. Competency A:A2.4 Apply knowledge of learning styles to positively influence school performance Sample Lesson Plan:
DOMAIN: Career DevelopmentStandard B: Students will employ strategies to achieve future career goals with success and satisfaction Competency C:B1 : Acquire Career Information Sample Lesson Plan:
DOMAIN: Personal/Social DevelopmentStandard A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others. Competency PS:A1: Acquire self knowledge Sample Lesson Plan:
Small Group Activities
The counselors at Blue Rock Secondary School encourage students to participate in group sessions that occur throughout the day, based on the students’ and counselors’ schedule. All different types of topics are offered including but not limited to stress management, bullying, anger management, depression, relationship improvement, and self image. Click on the links below to see an example how a group session would be run from the first session to the last session.
Parent Workshops
Blue Rock School District hosts various types of workshops for parents. It is our hope, that the parents and legal guardians in our district become as involved as possible which will enable our students to perform at an even higher level.
In order for our school district to have a comprehensive school counseling program, we need to have the legal guardians and parents of our students empowered. In order for the maximum success, parents also need to be notified about our programs that we use in order to enhance our students in the academic, career, and social realm. Evening workshops are provided for legal parents and guardians in order to enhance the performance of our students and to further tighten the relationship between the school community and the parents of our students.
It is our goal at the Blue Rock School District to make sure that we do not have any legal guardians or parents disenfranchised. In previous years we have struggled to serve parents or guardians who are, single parent homes, parents who work during the hours of our meetings, and parents who do not have the necessary transportation to get to our schools for these meetings. Meeting minutes will be posted for 48 hours following the meetings in order to make sure all parents can access the notes in some shape or form. Topics may include but are not limited to career/college, trades, misuse of the internet, forming better relationships, how to communicate with teenagers, and how to get children through a divorce.
In order to enhance our parent workshops and educational system, Blue Rock Secondary School has adopted the use of i-safe which is a website that is used to teach students and parents about internet education. Students and parents will be given a username and password this way they all parties can be educated about the responsible use of the internet. Blue Rock Secondary School has also uses Career Cruiser so that our students have the best opportunity at pursuing a career post their secondary education experience. Below are descriptions and the website links to each of our online services.I-SAFE Inc. is a leading publisher of media literacy and digital citizenship education materials and programming with worldwide distribution channels. Founded in 1998 and supported by the U.S. Congress and various executive agencies of the U.S. government, i-SAFE is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and empowering youth (and others) to safely, responsibly and productively use Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). i-SAFE’s best practices classroom curriculum for primary and secondary school students is embedded with dynamic community outreach activities to empower students, teachers, parents, law enforcement professionals, and other community members to control their online experiences by proficiently and independently exercising a learned and practiced ability to use the Internet and other ICT with a level of sophistication that results in increased safety and utility.
Career Cruising is an industry-leading online career guidance and planning system. People of all ages use this program's tools to find the right career, explore education and training options, and build their own portfolio. Add-on products extend Career Cruising’s functionality, making it easier for schools to manage their course selection process, communities to meet their workforce development needs, and students to prepare for the SAT/ACT.
The role of consultation is a vital one for the Blue Rock School District. Our school counselors are highly trained to effectively consult with students, parents, teachers, as well as administrators in order to ensure student success within the school system. Consultation involves the school counselor interacting with someone with the main focus of supporting that other person to function more effectively with a third party present to assist in the process (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). As consultants to students, school counselors aim to support them by teaching effective problem solving skills as well as facilitate positive change in both the home and school environments (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). When consulting with administrators or teachers, school counselors are collaborating with all staff in order to work on the common goals of each student. As school counselors consult with parents, they are able to help assist in parent training and promote a healthier relationship with their children. As part of a comprehensive school-counseling program, the Blue Rock School District strongly believes in developing healthy relationships with all parties involved in a student’s academic achievement, in which, the school counselor serves as a bridge between the different parties. The school counselor also serves as an advocate for not only the students but also other individuals involved in the student’s educational success.
Individual/Group Counseling
Individual and group counseling is another important component of a comprehensive school-counseling program. Blue Rock High School uses the Solution-Focused approach as the theoretical orientation when running counseling sessions. Solution-focused counseling focuses on teaching students the ability to recognize their own strengthens and focus on moving toward a personal goal. Individual and group counseling is aimed at helping students through individual problems and assist in looking for productive solutions to current or future problems.
The following are examples of when individual counseling is necessary:
When a student is having increased numbers of truancy
When a student needs information about college or different work fields
When a student is having difficulty with their academics
When a student has difficulty managing their emotions
When a student is referred due to behavioral issues
When a student needs to sit down and be heard
The following are examples of when individual counseling should not be provided by a school counselor and may need outside services:
If a student is having trouble with an addiction
If a student has reported abuse of any kind (must be reported as mandated reporters)
If a student is showing suicidal or homicidal behaviors
If a student is struggling with an eating disorder or other more severe mental health issues
Group counseling can be very different from the experience of individual counseling. The main purpose of group counseling is to help students learn more about themselves and others as well as be able to relate in a safe manor within a confidential and controlled environment (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). Group counseling has been proven to be extremely effective in addressing the needs of students, especially with the at-risk population (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). In order for group counseling to be effective, the school counselor must set up an environment in which the students feel comfortable sharing with others. This can be done through confidentiality and creating a safe protected place to discuss various topics.
The following are examples of when group counseling is appropriate:
When a student is suffering from a loss of someone close to them (may be conducted within a small group)
When discussing broad topics such as bullying or drugs and alcohol (can be done in small group or classroom)
When a student needs help with their study skills (small group)
The following are examples where group counseling would be inappropriate:
If a student has a more personal issue in which they would be embarrassed to disclose in a group setting
If a student displays an aggressive and combative personality, group counseling me not be productive
If a child is showing suicidal tendencies (referral to outsides services needed)
Referrals
In order to meet the needs of every student, the Blue Rock School Districts accepts referrals from teachers, parents, peers; all school staff as well as administrators. Other referrals that are also welcome include outside agencies and other professionals that work with the students in our district. The referral process is quick and easy; just fill out the form provided below and put as much information as possible. If any questions arise feel free to contact the counseling offices. The school counselors Blue Rock School District ensure that all matters will remain confidential at all times, which goes for the student and the party that referred them. Below is a list of potential reasons for referring a student:
Personal/Social- Anger management, interaction with students and teachers, and behavioral issues such as violent or disruptive behavior (bullying or being bullied)
Academic Development- School/class attendance problems, class participation, completion of assignments and overall grades
Career Development- college help including applications or basic knowledge, job training, post-secondary options and explore military options
Individual Student Planning
Individual student planning is a process where the school counselor ensures that each student has a plan for the future whether it is for occupational, educational, or personal goals. It is the counselor’s responsibility to make certain that each student has the information needed to best meet these goals in accordance to ASCA guidelines. According to Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) some topics that are discussed within individual and small group advisement include:
Course selection,
Assessing and analyzing a student’s skills, interests, and abilities,
Graduation requirements
Test score explanation
College selection
Job exploration
System Support
School counselors are vital in promoting the overall educational mission statement of the Blue Rock School District. They provide in-service trainings to colleagues to ensure professional development continues as well as continue to work on professional development themselves through maintaining memberships to other professional associations (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). School counselors also serve as consultants by using teaming and collaboration with parents and school colleagues as well as different community stakeholders.
The delivery system is comprised of four parts:
Each part of the delivery system is further explained below. The curriculum crosswalk shows two outside sources that Blue Rock High School uses, it also shows how they fit in under the ASCA National Standards.
Guidance Curriculum
Blue Rock High School Programs (7th-12th)
Each year, our counselors and staff revamp our current guidance curriculum to best fit the needs of the students in our school district. Our curriculum is based on the developmental needs of our students and what we have used that has been successful in the past as well as assessing how much the students felt that the material was necessary and useful. Below are the six categories that students will be educated about by the school counselors during the 2011-2012 school year at Blue Rock High School.
Curriculum Outline:
Fall
7- Fitting in/transitions
8- Academic Development
9- Fitting in/transitions
10- Academic Development
11- Stress management
12- D&A
Spring
7- Bullying/aggression
8- D&A
9- Career
10- Bullying/aggression
11- Career
12- Stress management
For clarity, we have provided links which outline lesson plans for the secondary guidance curriculum (grades 7-12). Sample classroom instruction plans are provided below to show what types of interventions and lessons will be implemented in the classrooms.
Blue Rock High School Sample Lesson Plans
DOMAIN: Academic DevelopmentStandard B: Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.
Competency A:A2.4 Apply knowledge of learning styles to positively influence school performance
Sample Lesson Plan:
DOMAIN: Career DevelopmentStandard B: Students will employ strategies to achieve future career goals with success and satisfaction
Competency C:B1 : Acquire Career Information
Sample Lesson Plan:
DOMAIN: Personal/Social DevelopmentStandard A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others.
Competency PS:A1: Acquire self knowledge
Sample Lesson Plan:
Small Group Activities
The counselors at Blue Rock Secondary School encourage students to participate in group sessions that occur throughout the day, based on the students’ and counselors’ schedule. All different types of topics are offered including but not limited to stress management, bullying, anger management, depression, relationship improvement, and self image. Click on the links below to see an example how a group session would be run from the first session to the last session.
Parent Workshops
Blue Rock School District hosts various types of workshops for parents. It is our hope, that the parents and legal guardians in our district become as involved as possible which will enable our students to perform at an even higher level.
In order for our school district to have a comprehensive school counseling program, we need to have the legal guardians and parents of our students empowered. In order for the maximum success, parents also need to be notified about our programs that we use in order to enhance our students in the academic, career, and social realm. Evening workshops are provided for legal parents and guardians in order to enhance the performance of our students and to further tighten the relationship between the school community and the parents of our students.
It is our goal at the Blue Rock School District to make sure that we do not have any legal guardians or parents disenfranchised. In previous years we have struggled to serve parents or guardians who are, single parent homes, parents who work during the hours of our meetings, and parents who do not have the necessary transportation to get to our schools for these meetings. Meeting minutes will be posted for 48 hours following the meetings in order to make sure all parents can access the notes in some shape or form. Topics may include but are not limited to career/college, trades, misuse of the internet, forming better relationships, how to communicate with teenagers, and how to get children through a divorce.
In order to enhance our parent workshops and educational system, Blue Rock Secondary School has adopted the use of i-safe which is a website that is used to teach students and parents about internet education. Students and parents will be given a username and password this way they all parties can be educated about the responsible use of the internet. Blue Rock Secondary School has also uses Career Cruiser so that our students have the best opportunity at pursuing a career post their secondary education experience. Below are descriptions and the website links to each of our online services.I-SAFE Inc. is a leading publisher of media literacy and digital citizenship education materials and programming with worldwide distribution channels. Founded in 1998 and supported by the U.S. Congress and various executive agencies of the U.S. government, i-SAFE is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and empowering youth (and others) to safely, responsibly and productively use Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). i-SAFE’s best practices classroom curriculum for primary and secondary school students is embedded with dynamic community outreach activities to empower students, teachers, parents, law enforcement professionals, and other community members to control their online experiences by proficiently and independently exercising a learned and practiced ability to use the Internet and other ICT with a level of sophistication that results in increased safety and utility.
http://www.isafe.org/
Career Cruising is an industry-leading online career guidance and planning system. People of all ages use this program's tools to find the right career, explore education and training options, and build their own portfolio. Add-on products extend Career Cruising’s functionality, making it easier for schools to manage their course selection process, communities to meet their workforce development needs, and students to prepare for the SAT/ACT.
http://www.careercruising.com/
Responsive Services
Role of Consultation
The role of consultation is a vital one for the Blue Rock School District. Our school counselors are highly trained to effectively consult with students, parents, teachers, as well as administrators in order to ensure student success within the school system. Consultation involves the school counselor interacting with someone with the main focus of supporting that other person to function more effectively with a third party present to assist in the process (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). As consultants to students, school counselors aim to support them by teaching effective problem solving skills as well as facilitate positive change in both the home and school environments (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). When consulting with administrators or teachers, school counselors are collaborating with all staff in order to work on the common goals of each student. As school counselors consult with parents, they are able to help assist in parent training and promote a healthier relationship with their children. As part of a comprehensive school-counseling program, the Blue Rock School District strongly believes in developing healthy relationships with all parties involved in a student’s academic achievement, in which, the school counselor serves as a bridge between the different parties. The school counselor also serves as an advocate for not only the students but also other individuals involved in the student’s educational success.
Individual/Group Counseling
Individual and group counseling is another important component of a comprehensive school-counseling program. Blue Rock High School uses the Solution-Focused approach as the theoretical orientation when running counseling sessions. Solution-focused counseling focuses on teaching students the ability to recognize their own strengthens and focus on moving toward a personal goal. Individual and group counseling is aimed at helping students through individual problems and assist in looking for productive solutions to current or future problems.
The following are examples of when individual counseling is necessary:
The following are examples of when individual counseling should not be provided by a school counselor and may need outside services:
Group counseling can be very different from the experience of individual counseling. The main purpose of group counseling is to help students learn more about themselves and others as well as be able to relate in a safe manor within a confidential and controlled environment (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). Group counseling has been proven to be extremely effective in addressing the needs of students, especially with the at-risk population (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). In order for group counseling to be effective, the school counselor must set up an environment in which the students feel comfortable sharing with others. This can be done through confidentiality and creating a safe protected place to discuss various topics.
The following are examples of when group counseling is appropriate:
The following are examples where group counseling would be inappropriate:
Referrals
In order to meet the needs of every student, the Blue Rock School Districts accepts referrals from teachers, parents, peers; all school staff as well as administrators. Other referrals that are also welcome include outside agencies and other professionals that work with the students in our district. The referral process is quick and easy; just fill out the form provided below and put as much information as possible. If any questions arise feel free to contact the counseling offices. The school counselors Blue Rock School District ensure that all matters will remain confidential at all times, which goes for the student and the party that referred them. Below is a list of potential reasons for referring a student:
Individual Student Planning
Individual student planning is a process where the school counselor ensures that each student has a plan for the future whether it is for occupational, educational, or personal goals. It is the counselor’s responsibility to make certain that each student has the information needed to best meet these goals in accordance to ASCA guidelines. According to Dollarhide & Saginak (2012) some topics that are discussed within individual and small group advisement include:
System Support
School counselors are vital in promoting the overall educational mission statement of the Blue Rock School District. They provide in-service trainings to colleagues to ensure professional development continues as well as continue to work on professional development themselves through maintaining memberships to other professional associations (Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012). School counselors also serve as consultants by using teaming and collaboration with parents and school colleagues as well as different community stakeholders.